Choose Your Favorite (Model): 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9

By: Hans Bool
Submitted: 2007-01-17 12:48:43
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Counting starts at one. It is a perfect starting position to start the most popular game on the internet; dating, you need as much as yourself. That is, if you are a single and looking for a date.

With two, just having met a date, most (real) problems start. Most games start with two (players). We all know about the universal dichotomies of black and white, left and right, right and wrong. The number two provides a very simple (and therefore) powerful system to categorize … differences.

Three is also used to model the real world, for example by Treacy and Wiersema, known for their “value disciplines” which are: operational excellence (1), product leadership (2), or customer intimacy (3).

Four is used quite often in models. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for example results in an overview of sixteen types, but four (dominant) types form the core of the model.

The five-factor model is comprised of five personality dimensions (OCEAN): Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Six is also possible, but relatively seldom. The thinking hats of De Bono (white, red, black, green, yellow and blue) or recently the six values (gold, silver, steel, wood, copper and glass) is a good example.

Seven is abundantly available. The seven habits of highly effective people (S. Covey) for one. But think also about the top7 lists that fill the internet everywhere. Seven appears to be a magic number. But scarcely used in models.

Eight. Belbin, for example, uses the number eight to present different team roles; the Implementer, Shaper, Investigator, Plant, Team worker, Coordinator, Monitor and the Completer (The ninth role, the specialist is left out because it was added later) In fact the basis for the Belbin team role concept consist again of only four main characteristics (thinking, doing, feeling and willing)

Nine – The Enneagram uses nine types; The Perfectionist, The Giver, The Performer, The Romantic, The Observer, The Loyal Skeptic, The Epicure, The Protector and the Mediator.

Selecting a preference is not about the merits of each individual model. You should choose one that fits a real requirement or you might stick to using one you already are familiar with and if it serves your goal.

My own preference is to use models that apply less than seven types. Seven may be a magical number, but will make models complex. It is said that seven is the maximum number of items your are able to memorize on the short term, a fact that contributes to this complexity. One, on the other end, is not an option either -- this would result in a model describing everything. Two is for children to distinguish only between good and evil. So a real model start with at least three options. And between three and six, I intuitively go for an even number with the least number of possibilities. Four.

© 2006 Hans Bool

Hans Bool is the founder of Astor White a traditional management consulting company that offers online management advice. Astor Online solves issues in hours what normally would take days. You can apply for a free demo account

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